THOUSANDS of Scots households will miss out on nearly £5,000 a year due to changes in welfare payments.
The shake-up comes as the UK Government is aiming to move all two million claimants on legacy benefits to Universal Credit by the end of March next year.
1
The benefits process is known as managed migration.
The transition got underway in November 2022 following a pilot in July 2019.
As part of this process, households on legacy benefits, including tax credits, receive “migration notices” by post.
These provide instructions on how to switch to Universal Credit, as the transition is not automatic.
Households need to apply for Universal Credit within three months of receiving their migration notice.
Failing to do so can result in their benefits being stopped.
Since July 2022, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has sent nearly 1.14million migration notices.
But thousands of recipients have not yet made the switch to UC.
Around 171,750 households receiving tax credits who were sent migration notices between November 2022 and December 2023 had their benefits stopped, according to new figures from the DWP.
This means a typical household has lost around £4,960 a year, amounting to £851million in benefits being cut off because claimants didn’t switch to Universal Credit.
A spokesperson for anti-poverth charity Z2K said: “The total amount of benefits that the DWP has cut off for people who have missed their deadline for moving to universal credit has now jumped to over £850million.
“This is particularly concerning as we are fast approaching the point at which the government plans to start moving seriously ill and disabled people over to Universal Credit.
“We want to see the government slow down the move to universal credit to ensure that safeguards are in place so that no one is left without anything to live on.
“But in the meantime, if you receive a letter telling you to claim Universal Credit, you should seek advice immediately and make sure you submit the claim before the deadline.”
Experts have previously warned that managed migration poses a risk to vulnerable people who face losing money.
More than 20 organisations, including charities Mind, The Trussell Trust and Turn2Us, have called on the government to halt managed migration to fix flaws in the system that could cause those at risk to fall through.
Do you need help with the change to Universal Credit?
Anyone feeling worried or unsure about what to do can reach out for support from advice.scot’s benefits advisers, who can also help ensure they are claiming all the support they are entitled to.
The team can be reached on 0808 800 9060 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm) or through www.advice.scot.
Advice Direct Scotland also offers an online benefits calculator that helps individuals assess their entitlement to both devolved and reserved benefits.
Those deemed particularly at risk of losing their benefits are dementia sufferers and those with mental health problems and learning disabilities.
A DWP spokesperson said: “We are committed to ensuring all customers receive the support they need from our staff and services.
“The department has a wide range of support available to all individuals, particularly those who are vulnerable.”
We previously told how families across Scotland could be entitled to more than £250 in payments this winter.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
Energy bills are set to rise next month as the price cap is increased by Ofgem.
But there is still cash available to help hard-up Scots get through the colder months.
